good morning, america. breaking overnight, killer storm. tornadoes hit the gulf coast with more than 30 twisters touching down. >> oh, wow. oh, look at that tornado. >> leaving thousands without power. and it's not over yet. whiteout. 21 states under snow warnings, from texas to maine. the downfall causing highway pileups. and threatening to bring holiday travel to a halt. and get ready. a massive nor'easter is on the way. sam is here with the latest. and the chilling note left by the killer in rochester, new york, who targeted the firefighters as they responded to that massive fire. the gruesome reason he set his neighborhood aflame. and a million-dollar mixup.

this family got the wrong lottery ticket. and struck it rich. now, they say they're set for life. and a very good wednesday morning to you, america. we hope you all had a very merry christmas, if it's something you celebrate. great to have all of you with us this morning. robin, george, lara at home with their families. great to have paula faris, and rachel smith, host of "on the red carpet" back with us this morning. and we're back from the holidays. we're all thinking about returning the gifts, right? just kidding. there's people that are going to be in the return lines. becky worley is here on how to score on both. let's get right to sam. he's been tracking the rough weather that's impacted millions

over the week. >> some prepared for it. they were warned in advance. what a night. 34 tornadoes rocked that area. the previous christmas tornadoes had been 12 in 1969. when we tell you this was an epic event, it truly was. the abc station from birmingham, sending us the tornadoes from the mobile area. look at these in the deep south. new orleans to montgomery. tornado warnings all over the deep south. last night, on twitter, your pictures were sending us all the damage. matt gutman was landing in mobile about the time the storms got to that area. what's it like this morning? >> reporter: it's pretty dark here, sam. it was a terrifying christmas for a lot of folks here. the breadth of the damage here is staggering. still, there's 300,000 people without power. that tornado came right through here. this is a main street in midtown mobile, snapping 100-year-old pines. it took out a church, a school. knocked out power to a hospital

a few blocks away. it goes on like this block after block. overnight, dozens of christmas tornadoes terrorizing the south. eyewitnesses watching this monster trample through mobile, alabama. >> tornadoes going through mobile. that's a tornado. oh, wow. oh, look at that tornado. oh, my god. that's cool. >> reporter: first, the slew of at least 15 twisters pounding texas. then, touching down in louisiana, blasting through homes in mississippi. >> we have a lot of damage. people hurt. >> reporter: and wreaking havoc here in mobile, where a wide funnel cloud is filmed barreling across the city. lightning flashing inside, like giant christmas ornaments. they were spawned from a snowstorm from all the way in california. triggering these explosions. the midtown area of mobile fully blacked out. lit only by the lights of police cruisers. across the region, over 250,000

people without power. >> we've had some moderate to minor injuries. to this point, there's been no deaths reported. judging by some of the damage we witnessed today, it's a miracle. >> reporter: dazed residents pick through the debris, as rescuers check for people still trapped in the rubble. the winds mana s mangling the antebellum homes here. and it's not over yet, sam. a high wind warning is in effect. we talked about the breadth of the damage coming through last night. the only lights for miles around were those of police flashers. the power crews that were out last night are still working trying to get power back to the hospital. they haven't even begun to clear main roads in downtown mobile. and all of this weather is punching through to georgia, the carolinas and to you in the northeast. sam? >> that's right, matt. when i saw the pictures coming out. we thought the casualty report was going to be much worse than it was. thankfully, it wasn't that bad.

we watch the storms start to push their way east. look at the target zone. in the carolinas. virginia coastal area and all the way down to north carolina. touching all of that range, from columbia. i take it toward richmond during the day today. the snowy edge of this storm was just as tough to get through. we have the biggest snowfall in dallas since 1956. 11 inches of snow in arkansas. little rock coming in with their most december snow ever. anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow moves into the new england area. that will be a wintry mix, as well. we know there's a big problem with this snow. we'll show you the pictures as we get into indiana this morning. the snow is falling on road surfaces. this is the picture seen all the way up to the great lakes today. in some cases, blizzard conditions. alex perez is in indianapolis, where the snow is already falling, to talk about the travel problems there. good morning, alex. >> reporter: good morning, sam. here in indianapolis, right now, they are bracing for a blizzard that could dump as much as a foot of snow in some areas.

today is one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season. and this storm will be affecting travel plans for millions. that large storm has been pounding not only the gulf coast, but everywhere in the south. from oklahoma, to arkansas, to texas. giving dallas and other parts of the lone star state a rare white christmas. in lubbock, more than an inch of snow. making it difficult for some drivers to stay on the road. at dallas/ft. worth airport, flights delayed, as crews work to deice planes. oklahoma got about seven inches of snow all over the state, making for treacherous road conditions. a 21-car pileup in oklahoma city temporarily shut down a major road through the state. but no one was seriously injured. even arkansas got a christmas day snowstorm with an estimated ten inches falling on fa

fayetteville. today, it's expected to bring at least six to eight inches to the lower midwest, causing potential delays at airports in st. louis, louisville, indianapolis, and cincinnati. those in missouri, right in the storm's path, tried to stock up on supplies. >> i don't anticipate power going out. but it's always a possibility, too. >> reporter: in northern california, they were socked with a third storm in three days. dumping wet weather from the bay area through the sierras. delaying inbound flights at san francisco international and causing a landslide in oakland, almost crushing one driver to death. >> i heard this bounce directly off my roof. feel pretty lucky. >> reporter: now, the snow started falling here in indianapolis just a short time ago. it's expected to continue falling late into the evening. from here, the bad weather moves to the busy northeast corridor late tonight into tomorrow morning. and expect it to create major travel delays there, as well. josh? >> thanks for that, alex. we're going to turn to new

details about that shocking christmas crime in upstate new york. a gunman who ambushed and killed two firefighters left behind a chilling note about his deadly plan. with more, abc's linsey davis is here with the latest. this is a tough one. >> reporter: it really is. lots of new developments to report, including that the death toll has risen to three. and the gun recovered by police, a semiautomatic bushmaster, the same used in the elementary school massacre in newtown, connecticut. investigators continue to comb through what's left of this webster home. the scene of an ambush attack set by this man, william spengler, that killed two firefighters and injured two others. overnight, news that a body has been found in the rubble of the spengler home, possibly his sister, cheryl spengler, who neighbors say he had a strained relationship. emotions are high, as firefighters face the grim reality of burying their own.

>> tried to put down as many people as possible before stopping. >> reporter: police say spengler fired from a nearby berm or hill, as if he were a military sniper, using a tree as cover. >> spengler had armed himself heavily. and immediately started firing upon first responders. it was a combat mission. >> reporter: he killed firefighters tomasz ka szoka. and left behind a rambling note. >> i need to see how much of a neighborhood i can burn down. and do what i like best, killing people. >> reporter: his intent to kill is clear. though his motive is still a mystery. we do know spengler had a violent past. the 62-year-old served 17 years for killing his grandmother with a hammer. because spengler was a felon, he shouldn't have been able to possess weapons in the first place.

two firefighters are in the hospital in stable condition. both are expected to make a full recovery. >> thank you for that, linsey. we're going to turn to paula faris, in with the other top developing stories this morning. paula? >> good morning to you. the president is enjoying time away from the white house. but president obama is cutting short his christmas vacation. he is leaving hawaii tonight, so he can be back in washington when congress reconvenes tomorrow. and they can try once again to negotiate a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff by the end of the year. just about every american family will see their taxes increase on january 1 unless a deal is reached. lawmakers are expressing little optimism so far. meantime, the president spent christmas in hawaii, visiting a local marine base, thanking more than 100 troops and their families for their service. and this morning, the taliban is claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing at a major u.s. base in eastern afghanistan. three afghans, including a guard at camp chatman were killed in

today's explosion. back here at home, former major league baseball player andruw jones is free on bail this morning. he was arrested near atlanta early christmas morning on a battery charge, after police responded to a call about a domestic dispute with his wife. and netflix, they are apologizing for a christmas outage in its video streaming service. it happened on christmas, a little untimely. it took ten hours to resolve the problem, which affected subscribers across the country. the company says it stemmed from a failure at amazon, which hosts the netflix servers. and a feat of engineering on display in china this morning. service began today on the world's longest high-speed rail line. the average speed, hang on, everybody. 186 miles per hour. it used to take 22 hours to get from beijing to guangzhou. now, it will take about eight. the same distance as new york to

key west. how about that? in just eight hours. i think i would rather be in key west than guangzhou, though. just me? finally, could be the best christmas present ever. a young girl here in new york has just been reunited with her best friend after a heartless crime. take a look at this. she was in a grocery store with her family christmas eve, when this man dog-napped her cavalier king charles spaniel named marley. a good samaritan later saw that man trying to sell the dog. she forked over $220 of her own money to buy marley back. and she had a feeling he had been stolen. so, she took him to a vet to be scanned for a microchip and found his true owner, setting up this amazingly, joyful christmas reunion. 7-year-old mia says she couldn't sleep without marley, by the way. the dog-napper has been arrested. a true good samaritan, who took the money out of her own pocket. yes. >> and the little one reunited.

that's terrific. >> thank you, paula. >> that's post-christmas happiness. now, to douse water all over that, time to face the inevitable. the return lines. becky worley joining us via skype from oakland, with everything you need to know about bringing back the stuff that maybe we didn't want so very much. and while we're out, becky, how about finding post-christmas bargains. we welcome you. and here we go. we're going to face the weather with the stuff. what's the most important thing we need to know? >> yeah. from dogs that are returned to their owners to returning gifts on the day after christmas. boxing day. yeah. about 10% of all gifts will be returned. this, according to the national retail federation. and that means those lines will be long. but if you're thinking about just procrastinating and waiting to return your gifts, don't. usually, return policies anyway is 30, 60, 90 days. when it comes to electronics and some other item, it can be as

short as 15 days. so, get there sooner rather than later. today is a work day for many. so, it's not like we're having the crush of the weekend returns, the day after christmas. but i would say thursday or friday, you want to be thinking about that. and finally, bring an i.d. many stores, now, will ask you for i.d., as fraud protection. you need an i.d. to make a return, josh. >> we bring stuff back. maybe we get store credit. thankfully every store out there, virtually, offering us sales on a lot of stuff. so, what are we talking about? >> let's start with big-screen tvs. historically now and before the super bowl is when we see the best prices for tvs every year. this is not the best tv on the market. but it's a 50-inch l.e.d. from frey's. it's a koby brand. that's crazy. >> crazy like a fox with a tv. becky worley, there in oakland.

for other tips, logon to goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! thank you, becky. amy? >> all right, josh. i don't know how i'm going to follow that. in their first interview since the election, president and mrs. obama sat down with barbara walters. in this moment from their wide-ranging conversation, the first couple is revealing intimate moments from the campaign trail. >> mr. president, mrs. obama, there's a photograph of that you went viral. became the most-shared photograph in the history of twitter. here it is. when you look at this picture, what do you think? at what point was that? >> i think we were campaigning in iowa. >> why were you hugging her so hard in iowa? >> because i love my wife. >> also, i hadn't seen him in a while. when you're campaigning, we're two ships passing in the night. and the first time i saw him was when i walked onstage to greet him. and that's my honey giving me a hug. >> i like giving you hugs. >> how do you keep the fire going? >> that's a good question.

>> you know, we've been married now 20 years. >> uh-huh. >> and like every marriage, i think you have your ups and you have your downs. but if you work through the tough times, the respect and love that you feel deepest. >> and there's a lot of laughter. you know? >> and you're funnier? >> yeah. >> everybody thinks she's pretty funny. i'm funnier than people think. >> that may be. you may be funnier than people think. >> all right. you can see all of barbara's interview with the first couple tonight on "nightline." josh? >> lovely moments there. now, a christmas story just waiting for a happy ending. another good samaritan miraculously making a big find. this time, a man's lost wedding ring. but now comes the hard part. finding owner of said ring. he's hoping that one of you can help the fella. take a look. heading to lake tahoe on a dark

interstate 80 near kingvale, california. a driver stopped to put snow chains on his tires. in doing so, he lost his platinum wedding ring. with the barely visible inscription, lisa, june 5th, 2010. >> it got cold. didn't realize the ring had slipped off. >> reporter: that's what the driver told to a chain installer, who stopped to help, when he saw the driver sifting through the snow. >> he was using the light on his cell phone. >> reporter: the driver eventually quit searching. and with his wife waiting in their nearby car, off they drove. but not for long. at 1:00 in the morning, the good samaritan returned. >> i decided to go look for ring. i knew approximately where it was. i was hunting with my head lamp and hand light. it took me less than an hour. i found it next to a semi truck.

it was slightly submerged in the snow. >> reporter: he found it. lisa's husband's ring. but there was no way to return it because he never asked the driver for his name or number. >> it happened so fast. i've never been married. i know a husband loses a wedding ring, someone else is going to be very upset. >> aw. >> people are good. >> that's amazing. hours in the snow. that's great. >> that's terrific. here's the deal. if you are the owner of that ring, tweet us at "gma." or better yet, as somebody who can newly appreciate the matter, tweet @samchampion. >> that's a great thing, though. truly, let's get the owner of that ring back to his ring. >> it is. we talked a lot about yesterday's rough weather. there's more of that today. let's watch this storm system over here, if you would. as it moves toward the

northeast. we'll start with the storm site radar, which gives you the snowy edge. all of that pushes into the northeast. d.c. getting some mixing early on from this system. so will new york. and mixing on up the coastline. eventually, a lot of the coastal areas will turn into rain. watch this. this is a big low. and it's got that cold side. it's got the stormy side. and all these things converge in the mid-atlantic and the northeast today. it will slow down your travel. and one of the toughest parts will be the heavy rain after we get rid of the mixing. look at the heavy rain. two to three inches of rain from raleigh, all the way to new york city. remember, there may be icy road surfaces all afternoon long. so, be careful there.

>> lots to talk about with weather. see all of that, gang? that's a snowmaker for the east. by the weekend, this is going to be a lot. >> all right, sam. coming up next on "gma," what happened to these two students missing now nearly a week. inside the mystery baffling

police. plus, are you planning to move? not until you see the movers from h-e-double hockey sticks. not until you see the movers from h-e-double hockey sticks. come on back. i like nutella. mom, what's the capital of west virginia? charleston. nutella is a delicious hazelnut spread my whole family loves. mom, have you seen my -- backpack? nutella goes great on whole-wheat toast or whole-grain waffles. and its great taste comes from a unique combination of simple ingredients like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. yeah, bye. have you seen my -- yes. and...thank you. [ male announcer ] nutella. breakfast never tasted this good. a lower price on your gifts. getting them home? wow. yeah. that's another story. citi price rewind. see how you can save at citi.com/pricerewind. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. today is going to be epic. he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter... he's built a rocket ship to travel into space. it's just the right size for a clever monkey. do you want to go into space, george? you will have to be very brave. hi, grandma!

oh hi,. my little monkey! here. thank you very much. you're welcome. everyone got on and they were off to the launching site. google, how far is earth to the moon? moon is 238,900 miles... the great moment had come... ...5...4...3...2...1 get to sears,after christmas mattress spectacular get 36 month special financing. and save up to 60%, plus get an extra 10% off. and free delivery. this is eye opening. this is sears

hi. deluxe dream village. that's my favorite. [ male announcer ] some people really love their jobs. ok. have a super sparkly day! and some people just love to save money. see how you can save at citi.com/pricerewind. aww man. [ male announcer ] returns are easy with free pickup from the u.s. postal service. we'll even drop off boxes if you need them. visit usps.com

pay, print, and have it picked up for free. any time of year. ♪ nice sweater. thank you. ♪ both of us actually. our pharmacist recommended it. and that makes me feel pretty good about it. and then i heard about a study looking at multivitamins

and the long term health benefits. and what do you know? they used centrum silver in the study. makes me feel even better, that's what i take. sorry, we take. [ male announcer ] centrum. the most recommended. most preferred. most studied. centrum, always your most complete. good wednesday morning, i'm megan pringle. >> i'm charley crowson. here are a few of your top stories today. a police officer is involved in a deadly shooting in carroll county. police say they were called to tawnytown for a report of a man smashing the windows of a truck with a hammer. when they arrived, they asked the man to put the hammer down, but they kept walking toward

him. that's when one officer fired, reportedly hitting the man. he's been identified as 26-year- old edward becker. in glen burnie a man is dead. he was shot while break breaking into a business. he broke into the arundel coin shop on sunday morning. he was fighting with an quee and that's when he was shot. medics pronounced him dead at the scene. that case still under investigation. time for a check of the forecast. things could get messy out there, here's meteorologist mike masso. >> notice on maryland's most powerful radar showing the flurries developing from annapolis, all of anne arundel county down towards buoy and this is pushing to the north, right along i-95 during the course of your day today. it's going to start as a snow situation, going to rain, about a coating to an inch just outside the city limits. two to three to the north and west of that and it's a raging snowstorm to the north, well up towards garrett county. could be a foot of snow. so 42 today is your two-degree guarantee, 42 for thursday. and yet another storm by the weekend and that could certainly bring some snow.

let's get a check on traffic. lauren cook in the traffic center. good morning, lauren. >>reporter: hello, mike. as the morning does pick up, this rain and snow mix will really affect the roads, so be sure to take it slow. we do have a crash in reisterstown at butler road and maryland 140. 795 will be clear and no problems to report on the west side of 695. here's what the beltway looks like in parkville. everything up to speed here at hartford road. that's a look at your traffic. megan and charley, over to you. you stay with us throughout the morning at abc2news.com. we're back in half an hour with more news, weather and traffic. >> if not, have a great day.

good morning to you, seymour, indiana. >> oh. >> look at this. the scene oft repeated in the middle half of this country. we thank our affiliate whas tv in louisville for the pictures. that snow you see there, headed our way in the northeast. we're hoping our audience is feeling especially hearty out there in times square, as the snow is coming. go, dogs. we welcome you, america. and bid you a good morning. georgia fever, i like it. we hope you're enjoying your holiday week. george, robin and lara certainly are with their families. great to have amy robach, paula

faris and rachel smith here with us this morning. this morning, caught on tape, movers behaving very badly. one customer got revenge. you have to watch it. you leave your things in these people's trust. and sometimes they don't do so well with that. >> gives me the shakes to look at that. there's one family, we're going to tell you the story. they thought there was no way they could be winner because they were sold the wrong lottery ticket. then, something amazing happened. they are now multimillionaires. >> wish i had that kind of luck. >> we're going to bring it to you. then, we have the split that is sending shockwaves throughout the reality tv world. bethenny frankel leaving her husband. what will happen? she is a wealthy woman. what will happen to the money they once shared? >> answers straight ahead. first, the search for clues in the mysterious disappearance

of two yacht school students on the coast of maine. nearly a week after they vanished. john muller is here with the latest. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning. clothing belonging to the two boating students has been found on an island near kennebunkport. beyond that, this is a mystery that grows grimmer by the hour. police are calling it one of the strangest cases they've ever seen. two friends disappearing in the dead of night. 20-year-old zachary wells and prescot wright, both in design school. an ominous sign, police found clothes that they believe belongs to wells and wright. >> we are dealing with tides. low tide is making access a problem. with the tide coming in, we'll have more boats and bring in our airboat for more access. >> reporter: they were last seen late wednesday night at a home

in kennebunkport, maine, where wells was living. both of the men were reportedly drinking and may have ventured into the water. >> we're here to search the offshore islands. and we have been doing that for the last several days. >> reporter: wells and wright were expected back in their home states for the holidays. instead, their families, worried sick, came to maine to help in the search. >> we're going to keep at it. and hopefully we'll have some luck here soon. >> reporter: police have not been specific about the clothing they have found. but they said wells and wright were not dressed properly for the temperatures and high winds. low-flying aerial searches will continue this morning. now, to americans on the move. more than 45 million people change their address every year. and many people are in danger of being taken advantage of by movers. but we have a story of consumer revenge. it's all caught on camera. abc's elisabeth leamy has the

story. >> i'm ready. >> reporter: meet the movers from hell. >> i'm ready to jump on you. get inside the house. [ bleep ]. >> reporter: caught on a customer's camera, with broken belongings. delivering them late. >> this is the stuff you've been waiting for? >> reporter: and dumping them outside. >> nothing going into the house. everything going on the plastic. the fight is not over. >> reporter: the fight is about whether the customer should have to pay the original estimate of $7,000 or the $25,000 the moving company demanded later. >> he's threatening me right now. >> reporter: and this was not the only case. >> he would go ballistic on us. >> reporter: cameron and melissa hired the same moving company and had a similar experience. a low-ball estimate of about $3,000, followed by a demand of nearly $10,000. >> it was crazy. we slept on the wood floor. we had nothing. >> reporter: the mover was

golden hand of colorado. >> i actually told them, you're not even the company that i talked to in the first place to make this deal. and he says, well, i'm the company that you need to be talking to now because i have your stuff. >> reporter: it's the latest problem in the moving industry. customers book their moves online, not realizing they're dealing with sketchy moving brokers, who provide unrealistically low estimate. and then, sell the lease to actual movers, like golden hands, who jack up the price and hold the items hostage until they pay. >> what if cam and i go undercover and find out if he has our goods. >> reporter: cameron and vanessa went undercover to this warehouse and found their stuff. it helped the feds close the case. and a nonprofit called move rescue, helped them. >> we're able to use our network

of mayflower agents across country, who will pick up the stuff that has often been abandoned in storage, and deliver them to the customer free of charge. >> reporter: the government indicted golden hands' owner, on 50 counts, including extortion and theft. >> you can get off the property now. >> reporter: for "good morning america," elisabeth leamy, abc news, washington. >> now, the attorney for the company's owner told us, mr. leaven is a small businessman who feels he did the best work he could under the confusing regulations and difficult circumstances and deadlines. but those pictures, that video, speaks volumes. >> it certainly does, about many things. time, now, for another look at the weather. and our sam champion. samuel? >> we've been concentrating on the middle of the country, the east coast. let's now look west, folks. this has been a very snowy time period, as well. start with these pictures near the tahoe area. seven feet of snow since friday. six resorts have had snow depths

of over 100 inches in the west. it is gorgeous, though. we have two brand-new systems moving in. this is going to create a little bit of a mess as they move across the country. they have cold air in the middle of the country to go with it. let's deal with the rain and the high-mountain snow that comes in with the next few lows. and the cold air that are exiting east. these are windchills. 4 below in bismarck. rapid city, good morning. a 10 below windchill. all the way to dallas, feeling like 8 degrees. a quick look at what happens today. there's a possibility of another tornado outbreak in southern virginia, also in the carolina coastal areas. and we have the icy mix from the great lakes to new england. some folks get

>> all that weather was brought to you by the discover card. coming up in the next half hour, we're going to show you the snow already starting in washington, d.c. this morning. >> okay. thanks, sam. still here, the wrong ticket that turned to be oh, so right. and turned these folks into millionaires. and bethenny frankel splitting from her husband. how will they split her financial empire? [ male announcer ] introducing centrum flavor burst adult multivitamins...

a delicious new way to get essential vitamins you need. just bite into the tasty shell... to a chewy vitamin core for a unique multivitamin sensation! new centrum flavor burst. well, inside the brewer, there's a giant staircase. and the room is filled with all these different kinds of coffee. actually, i just press this button. brew what you love, simply. keurig.

♪ you make me happy [ female announcer ] choose the same brand your mom trusted for you. children's tylenol, the #1 brand of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians and used by moms decade after decade. of pain and fever relief recommended by pediatricians trying to find a better job can likbe frustrating.gs, so at university of phoenix we're working with a growing list of almost two thousand corporate partners - companies like microsoft, american red cross and adobe - to create options for you. not only that, we're using what we learn from these partners to shape our curriculum, so that when you find the job you want you'll be a perfect fit. let's get to work. [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette you celebrate a little win. nicorette gum helps calm your cravings and makes you less irritable. quit one cigarette at a time.

and now, to a story of bad luck that turned into good fortune and a very merry christmas for one new hampshire family. they won a $2 million lottery jackpot all because the convenience store clerk sold them the wrong lottery ticket. >> amy, good morning. the winner went into the convenient store to buy lottery

tickets for two different games. making an honest mistake, the clerk sold them a ticket before the same game. no one realized what happened until the tickets were pulled. the bennetts of new hampshire had a very happy holiday. hitting it big in the megabucks lottery. >> it's surreal. >> reporter: it's all because it was a mistake. the bennetts became millionaires after kathy's husband, scott, purchased the wrong ticket. >> reporter: nicole sold him the ticket at this circle k. she actually hit the megabucks button instead. then, lo and behold -- >> he's sitting on the couch with the ticket on one hand. and the new hampshire lottery website on the computer. just staring at both of them. really didn't believe it. >> reporter: turns out, the bennetts truly were lucky. and now, they're set for life. carol's husband missed the press

conference because he was working. what about a reward? >> i don't xkt anything. that's all up to him and his family. >> reporter: gee says she is pleased the wrong tuck et turned out to be the right one for the bennetts. >> i'm pretty happy about it just because i was able to help them have a really good christmas. >> reporter: a very merry christmas. >> it's very overwhelming. but i think once everything settles, we'll enjoy and take the time to enjoy it and decide what the future's going to hold. >> reporter: now, the circle k store in hillsborough, new hampshire, will receive $21,500 for selling that winning ticket. the owner says he plans to share some of that money with employees, including nicole. at least she won't end up empty-handed. the clerk sells you the wrong ticket, just go with it. >> best mistake she ever made. thank you, john. coming up, big sales today. is your tech-savvy teen better at hunting them down than you

are? who will win our mother/daughter shopping challenge? >> my mother's on the teen. also, our "play of the day." happy kids yesterday morning. but one's reaction. oh. we're all having such a great year in the gulf, we've decided to put aside our rivalry. 'cause all our states are great. and now is when the gulf gets even better. the beaches and waters couldn't be more beautiful. take a boat ride or just lay in the sun. enjoy the wildlife and natural beauty. and don't forget our amazing seafood. so come to the gulf, you'll have a great time. especially in alabama. you mean mississippi. that's florida. say louisiana or there's no dessert. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. get to sears,after christmas mattress spectacular get 36 month special financing. and save up to 60%, plus get an extra 10% off. and free delivery. this is eye opening. this is sears

he is a good little monkey and always very curious. one day george got an important letter... he's built a rocket ship to travel into space. it's just the right size for a clever monkey. do you want to go into space, george? you will have to be very brave. hi, grandma! oh hi,. my little monkey! here. thank you very much. you're welcome. everyone got on and they were off to the launching site. google, how far is earth to the moon? moon is 238,900 miles... the great moment had come...

...5...4...3...2...1

right then, here's "the play of the day." >> we have a post-christmas bo-fer for you. not just because we have lots of time to fill.

no. merry christmas to each and every one of you. >> thank you. >> you know, you open the presents. and the kids are sometimes happy, like, really happy. even really, really happy. and sometimes, they are like this young fella named reese. he got tank, tank, tank. take a look. >> what is it? >> what is it, guys? >> i'm so happy. >> oh. i'm so happy. >> look at that. >> tank, tank, tank. >> i'm so happy. >> that's adorable. >> why don't you help aidan unwrap the rest of the presents? >> that's just terrific. i thought sarina was happy

getting repunsle and her horse. we're going to see you year after year. hope you enjoyed the close-up. it's not just the kids, made very, very happy. and almost moved to tears. take a look. i tweeted this, actually. it's an alabama fan. he has a bear bryant hat that his grandson got him for christmas. and he said, look. alabama playing in the national title game. and grandpa's going. >> oh. >> oh. >> aw. >> i might cry. >> a 'bama fan. >> that's better than the kid. that's amazing. >> we should tell them that notre dame's going to win, though, right? >> oh.

>> that's great. >> he composed himself long enough to say, i hope they're good seats. his son then said, hey. you know what, dad? they are in the stadium. they're great seats. i'm including that, not just because a bitter usc fan, as alabama prepares for notre dame. i say roll tide, roll. coming up, great looks for less. come on back. [ rosa ] i'm rosa and i quit smoking with chantix. when the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix.

don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you.

and you are. oh, it's great! now i can brew my coffee just the way i love it. how do you do that? well, inside the brewer, there's this train that's powerful enough to carry more coffee and fresh water to make coffee that's stronger and bigger...

and even hotter! actually, i just press this button. brew the coffee you love -- stronger, bigger, or hotter -- with the keurig vue. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey.... where? for life's bleachable moments.

good monday morning tou, i'm charley crowson. >> i'm megan pringle. here's a look at some top stories we're working on for you today. take a look at this picture. this is 20-year-old david share. he's from the area, but he was last seen near the university of maryland campus in college park wearing a purple ravens shirt and a pair of plants that were white plaid. share may have been driving a 2012 ford escape with maryland tags. the tag number is 3ax4875. if you have any information, you're asked to please call prince georges county police. their number is 301-699-2601. a father charged in the death of a 1-month-old baby will be in court this morning

for a preliminary hearing. 20-year-old father diane wear was arrested and charged last month in the death of kiara deon wear. medical examiners say the baby died of blunt force trauma. he is being charged with assault, reckless endangerment and child abuse. time now 7:56. let's send it over to meteorologist mike massco with a check on your forecast. >> good morning, megan. good morning, charley. 37 degrees in the city. outlying areas upper 20s to around 30 degrees. here's maryland's most powerful radar showing some flurries now entering the picture in the city and it's a burst of snow from silver spring right through annapolis. that will be charging toward the north during the course of this morning. again, a quick coating for the city. higher amounts towards the north and we'll get up to 42 today. degree on thursday and -- 43 on thursday and then another system comes in by the weekend. late get a check on traffic. lauren cook in the traffic center. good morning. >>reporter: good morning, might be. we are dealing with a crash in risterstown on butler road at maryland 140 and another in the city on green spring avenue right at du pont avenue. as we check in and take a look

in parkville, 695, no delays heading up towards towson. that's a look at your traffic. megan and charley, over to you. you can always go to abc2news.com for more news, weather and traffic. >> we'll go back to new york now. have a great day.

[ cheers and applause ] a late contender for crowd of the year 2012, i might add. it is hearty. robust. >> it's cold out there. >> yeah. they must love the cold. thank you for spending a bit of your morning here with us live. we bid you -- wanted to make sure you were up. >> thanks, josh. >> george, robin, lara, enjoying their families at home. wonderful to have amy robach, rachel smith, paula faris, here with us this morning. christmas has passed. but ours isn't quite over yet.

inside the box, as you see there, the kind of presents -- >> presents. >> we get the presents that most often disappoint. we're going to swap -- >> we're going to disappoint each other. >> nothing says christmas like disappointment. mild disappointment. maybe we'll get it right the second time around. >> we can hope that, too. for real housewife, bethenny frankel. she tied the knot on "bethenny getting married." now, bethenny getting divorced. looking for mr. right the second time around. and speaking of second time around. is she or isn't she? there is scoop for jessica simpson. good friend of the show. seen there with our josh elliott, using the skinny mic. the only morning show with skinny mics, by the way. she tweeted out a picture that

would lead us to believe there's a new baby on the way. >> good for her. excited for her. >> absolutely. and we'll tell you how to ring in the new year in high style but very low prices. the new year's eve look at 100 bucks or less. >> i'm in. but now, to paula faris for the top stories. >> josh, i want to say. tough day at the office for you. all of us ladies, and sam. >> poor sam. we love you, sam. >> i know you meant it to start well. >> you were included in all of that, as well. just being ungrateful this morning. we begin with that extreme weather that sam has been tells us about. it appears to be the worst-ever tornado outbreak on christmas. dozens. around mobile, alabama, and southern mississippi. but no life-threatening injuries have been reported in the tornado zone so far. as sam reported earlier, more than 250,000 homes and businesses have been left without power. meantime, snow is wreaking

havoc on holiday travel plans across the nation. blizzard warnings are in seven states right now, with a foot expected in parts of indiana. and that storm is headed to the northeast. sam's going to have the forecast in just a few moments. and we have some chilling, new details about the deadly ambush of firefighters in upstate new york. the gunman, 62-year-old william spengler, used the same make and caliber rifle was used in the newtown, connecticut, school attack. and in a note found by police, spengler said after setting fires, he would do what he liked best, which was, quote, killing people. the death toll is now three, after a body, possibly spengler's sister, was found in his burned-out home. and president obama is cutting his christmas vacation short and will fly back to washington tonight to try to solve the fiscal cliff budget stalemate. he told reporters last night, he's a hopeless optimistic that

a deal can be reached before january 1st. if not, we heard this, massive tax hikes, spending cuts will kick in automatically. the president and congress are due back in washington tomorrow. and it is back to the mall today for millions of americans. today is expected to be the fifth-busiest shopping day of the year. but it's been a disappointing season so far for retailers, who are reporting the weakest sales growth since 2008. but the week between christmas and new year's can account for as much as 15% of holiday sales. and more good news for hollywood, which is wrapping up a record year at the box office. "les mis" starring anne hathaway, hugh jackman, and russell crowe, had a strong opening. taking in a better-than-expected $17 million. ticket sales are up about 6% compared to last year. can't wait to see that one. finally, if your christmas dessert just wasn't enough, well look what just rolled in. this, my friends, is the

creation of a belgian chocolate company. the world's longest vintage chocolate steam train. did i mention it's chocolate. 110 feet of it. solid, nothing hollow. >> all that chocolate? >> it's all chocolate. not hollow. i don't know. it looks like it's mixed. >> is this the world's longest solid chocolate train? >> yes. 110 feet of it. >> is there a record? has there been a long-standing record? >> you know what? we'll answer that on "gma live!" how about that? >> way to go, paula. >> very nice. very nice. upping the ante for rachel smith. >> yeah. >> how are you, rachel? >> good morning, guys. happy belated christmas to you. to follow-up your statement, sam, we have big news coming from jessica simpson. >> oh. >> we do, indeed. the singer, actress, and mogul,

tweeted this picture with the message, merry christmas, from my family to yours. this photo looks like a typical christmas greeting. if you look closely, you can see big sis written under baby maxwell. she is confirming her second pregnancy. she's going to be a mom for the second time. baby maxwell won't be too much older than her brother or sister. the daddy is jessica's fiance, eric johnson. and jessica had some fun announcing she was pregnant with maxwell. tweeting out this picture of herself last year, with the caption, it's true. i'm going to be a mummy. isn't that precious? >> i got it. >> got it. looks like she's got a trend going on there. if you're wondering about her weight watchers deal, because jessica has a deal with them, they've been supportive of the mom-to-be. tweeting congrats to jessica simpson, eric and big

sister-to-be maxwell. your weight watchers family is with you. >> she can talk about healthy eating during the pregnancy. >> let her enjoy the pregnancy. i did it. >> have fun with it. >> i'm telling you. u2 lead man, bono, was having fun christmas eve. he was making it a beautiful evening for a lucky group of pedestrians in dublin. the rocker hit the streets for a concert, with glen and sinead o'connor. take a listen. ♪ desire, desire ♪ >> the trio performed "desire." this is the fourth time bono has hit the streets for a good cause. >> he was behind the musical --

>> can you imagine strolling down that street? >> sinead o'connor singing harmony? >> we can sing "oh, christmas tree." not. now, to a moment of cuteness, great baby kate had to ham it up for the cameras. mainly 400,000 views. most coming in the last few days. you can see why. all right, guys. now to our pop quiz. which singer dosomething.org's top charity donator of the year? where is sam? >> there's so much going on. anniversary for you guys. birthday. birthday. birthday. and something about a cheesehead that isn't really a cheesehead.

go, packers. it is, after all. let's get to the boards. one or two things we want to show you as you step out your doors. we'll show you a live shot of washington, d.c. the problem of the east coast is this. look at the surface there. a little bit of white. and the roads look wet. there's some glazing going on. there's a lot of changeover. that's going to happen on coastal areas, as well. as the system whips in, there will be heavy snow inland. and coastal areas will go to rain. for a while today, just take it easy. keep up with your local abc stations, all the way to washington and new york and boston. there will be a changeover and problems in those areas. look at the arrows in red. this is how the storm system kicks up the winds on the eastern seaboard. and the red are the really bad winds. they extend from atlanta to boston today. two systems move into the west today. that will be a problem for the nation later.

>> make sure everybody gets in. who do you want to say hi to? >> hi, mom. >> and also, let's go inside to -- >> rachel. >> thanks, guys. all right. now, here's a look at what's ahead on "gma morning menu." a painful dose of reality for reality star bethenny frankel. new details about her split from husband jason hoppy. coupon-clipping mom versus her techy teen. who will win the battle of the burgeon-hunters? you'll only look like a

million bucks. sizzling new year's eve fashion, $100 or less. all coming up live on "gma," here in times square. [ male announcer ] introducing centrum flavor burst adult multivitamins...

a delicious new way to get essential vitamins you need. just bite into the tasty shell... to a chewy vitamin core for a unique multivitamin sensation! new centrum flavor burst.

by the armful? by the barrelful? the carful? how about...by the bowlful? campbell's soups give you nutrition, energy, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

campbell's. we're spreading the word about honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better.

all right. now, it's time for the answer to our pop quiz of the day. which singer tops dosomething.org's list of most charitable celebrities of 2012? >> taylor swift. >> you always get it. all right. the platinum-selling artist tops the billboard charts. now, she's topping it when it comes to giving back. one of her donations this year alone, $4 million to the country music hall of fame and museum in nashville, tennessee. the 23-year-old is also the youngest person to receive the ripple of hope award from the robert f. kennedy center for her efforts. fantastic job. >> never, ever, ever ask questions that aren't answered with taylor swift. here we are at the "gma" campfire. we're going to turn to the latest celebrity breakup, between former "real housewives of new york" star bethenny

frankel and her hubby, jason hoppy. was there a prenup signed? and with those details, paula? >> it could be a cold, hard reality for the reality star. bethenny frankel is worth millions. but with her marriage to her second husband seemingly every, splitting up may be splitting up her net worth. >> i think it's fantastic. >> reporter: from real housewife, to mogul. bethenny frankel has played out much of her life on tv. even tying the knot with jason hoppy, on "bethenny getting married" in 2010, when she was pregnant with their daughter, brynn. but less than three years later, bethenny's ever after is crumbling. releasing a statement saying, we have love and respect for one

another and will continue to amicably co-parent our daughter, who is and will always remain our first priority. this is an immensely painful and heartbreaking time for us. >> the writing was on the wall definitely in this relationship. they're very different people. insiders say there was always friction. >> reporter: friction we saw build. >> you're right. there has been a little resentment. >> reporter: and build on "bethenny ever after." >> thanks to me, you're going to end up alone. >> you're so worried about people thinking i'm a perfect husband. does that bother you so much? >> it does. >> reporte >> i'm done. >> reporter: this bethenny, gushing about jason, when promoting her third book with robin in 2011. >> most annoying thing your husband, jason, does. >> is kind of perfect. >> reporter: now, everyone is wondering what went wrong and what comes next in this storybook.

>> there were two careers. one more successful than the other. everything is happening for her at one time. plus, she's a mom. something had to give. and unfortunately, it was her marriage. >> reporter: and it's not just bethenny's future at stake. it's also her empire. she hit "forbes'" magazine celebrity 100 list last year. and in 2011, she sold her skinny girl product line in a deal reportedly worth $100 thushgs. while hoppy did sign a prenuptial agreement, there's still a chance he could be in for a huge payday. bethenny seems to be finding comfort in her fans. amid the heartbreak, she took the time to tweet, thank you all so much. you give me so much love. and i am grateful. it feels like your words can get someone through everyone. she launched a talk show, appropriately named "bethenny." neither side has filed the divorce papers yet. at this point, they remain separated.

what to do with all that money. he did sign a prenup. >> we wish them the best. we wish them the best, especially because there's a little one involved. >> don't return the wedding gifts yet. but 26 -- you see how i made that play? 26th is a day that a lot of people return their christmas gifts. a big buzz this shopping season is how to use your smartphone to get discounts. but who does it better? your techy teens? or the mother? becky worley has the latest on moms and daughters. >> that's right. can you get the mom with the coupon challenging the kids with the smartphone to see who gets the best deal. meet chloe and lindsay. armed with their cell phones, they aim to save as much cash as they can. but mom, martha, is hunting

old-school, with the weekly mailer. if you get the biggest percentage off using the smartphone, and you beat your mom, using her coupons, you win the challenge. are you up for it? >> totally. >> okay. >> i love this. and i want it. i'm going to try it on. >> reporter: our first tip, install the app for your favorite stores. many offer discount codes and coup coupons. >> i like that. >> let's find out where it was. >> reporter: chloe spotted 20% off your entire purchase. but heads up, teens, that doesn't always transition into the stores. >> 12% off, that's only for online? >> that's only for online. >> reporter: okay. got it. but brand-specific apps aren't the only game in town. deal-ing a deal-aggragatin apps. mom hit it big with her sale.

>> this one was about 50% off. this one was 60% off. 70%. >> reporter: at last, we arrive at target. i'm changing the game. >> okay. >> reporter: the target app has a map in it. so, i'm going to give you one thing you have to find. and the first person to find it wins this part of the challenge. and the item is -- flameless candles. go. final tip, the big chains like target and walmart, will give you tons of data. local sales, store hours and maps. >> we won. >> we did. >> we're winners. >> reporter: did the app come in handy? >> this one did. >> reporter: plus, the apps offer mobile coupons. >> the popcorn popper. >> i like the popcorn. we can get that for deb. >> it won't ruin our pots and

pans anymore. >> i have a coupon for 10% off. >> okay. let me scan it. >> reporter: in the end, the combination of mom's motivation to find deals and the kids' savvy with technology may be the best combination finding sales. in the end, mom, martha, crushed the teens. she got hundreds off, where they got small dollars off. but i think this just comes down to a motivation issue. they got distracted. they were using their phones to facebook what they bought. yeah. mom, she wanted that deal and she found it. >> she got it. i love this. i didn't know much about this at all. now, i learned a lot, becky. i really did. >> a lot of takeaway. >> a lot of takeaway from that. >> thank you, becky. >> pleasure. >> all right. amy? speaking of deals, 2013 is almost here. we have four perfect looks to ring in the new year in style. "lucky" magazine's lori

bergamotto is here. $100 or less. >> there's still bargains to be had, amy. >> we begin with mary. mary's going to come on out. >> this dress is more of a vintage look. you see the tea length. very trendy for right now. we gave her a little thrift store clutch for $5. >> $5? >> go to thrift stores. and shoes from forever 21. how much do you think this is? >> $300. >> let's do the big reveal, mary. it's $72. it's a british website. amazing things. you love the look and feel of that dress. it's perfect to ring in the new year. >> thank you so much, mary. >> next up. >> katie. she's ready to party. come on out, katie. >> this dress is a little more feminine. very sweet. we gave her drop earrings.

the dress is from kohl's. go to the department stores like kohl's and target. they have designers. >> and major sales. >> and you love that. and the shoes are from payless. let's see the big reveal. the dress was only $40.80. love the way that looks. that's fantastic. >> and we have kate coming up. >> this is a more rocker style. this would look great on you. >> this is great new year's eve. >> a fun party dress. it is from -- we give her the huge clutch that really dresses it up. a silver clutch from zappos. the dress, we know is less than the one before it, is $40. so, pixiemarket.com. great website. >> i love the way you put the silver with it. big reveal for everyone here. one of our own --

>> here is -- josh elliott comes free with the dress. this dress is from macy's. we love the look and feel of it. even though it is winter white and has short sleeves, it feels very party dress. >> everyone loved the look of it. >> the necklace is from century 21. you can get designer deals a lot less. the bag, we gave her a pop of color from overstock.com. and payless shoes. reveal the price of that dress. $34. >> unbelievable. >> hey, everybody, petula, huh? >> we're just showing you can go and shop online or hitting the crazy sales today. you can find a look for less. >> head-to-toe, everything look, all the information is on your website. >> we were about to tell everyone that. thank you, lori. thank you, ladies. you look fantastic. another round of applause. guess what we have coming up next?

a special performance from broadway's hot ticket, "annie." ♪ you're always a day away ♪ tomorrow, tomorrow i love you, tomorrow ♪ ♪ you're always a day away ♪

good wednesday morning. i'm megan pringle. >> i'm charley crowson. here are a few of the top stories today. it's going to be slow going. highway officials say people heading home should be prepared for a number of delays along u.s. 40 in the bridge going over the tapassco river near catensville. the d.o.t. says it plans to reduce traffic from two lanes to one beginning tomorrow. drivers should consider using i- 70 or fredrick road instead. tomorrow if you want to play the slots at 2:00 in the morning, you can. maryland live casino is set to kick off its first 24-hour gaming day. once the casino opens at 8:00 in the morning, it will be open around the clock. maryland live is also prepared to immediately begin making the modifications required to add table games to the floor as soon as the regulation is made official. and what that means is our man mike massco never going to

sleep. >> you know where to find me friday night. here's what's going on, guys, notice some pretty heavy sleet over the city and you go to outlying areas north and west of 695, you're dealing with some snow right now. so, again, a wintery mix through the course of this morning. really not expecting any accumulations until you get up towards carroll county, fredrick county and out towards the west, five to 12 inches of snow before this system is out of here. 42 degrees, a wet, raw day. we're at 43 for tomorrow afternoon. and yet another storm comes in by the weekend with temperatures into the 30s. let's get a check on traffic. lauren cook in the traffic center. hey, lauren. >>reporter: hello, mike. as you mentioned sphoa is beginning to fall in fredrick and carroll counties. if you are traveling in those areas, be sure to take is it slow. 95 north of 195, traffic moving along, heading into baltimore city. and as we check in to 695, the west side nice and clear, no problems to report from liberty road down to route 40. and here's what it looks like in parkville, nice and clear all the way up to towson. that's a look at your traffic. megan and charley, over to you.

more news, weather and traffic coming up in a half hour. >> you can always head to abc2news.com.

[ cheers and applause ] and it is a little chilly out. but you can send your letters to sam champion. no. it is a robust and lovely crowd outside here in times square, as we bid you all a good morning, america. we hope that your holiday season is an enjoyable one. to that end, george, lara and robin, all at home with their families. happy to have paula faris, amy robach and rachel smith, here with us. and perhaps they are dealing with us because they're home. we're dealing with it here at the office. if you're not crazy with all of the christmas gifts and you don't want to stand in line today to return them, perhaps you can regift them to someone

else. we're going have our first annual "gma" regifting exchange. >> regifting marathon. >> in mere moments. and we're also going to hear from the man who is behind "the 40-year-old virgin" and so many movies that keep us laughing. judd apatow, is going to tell us about directing his real-life wife and kids in "this is 40." you ask the same questions every year, what to do with the leftovers, right? we'll show you how to spice them up and turn them into a holiday leftover. >> is that a hint? fiesta? just asking. and a segue. it might seem like the weather segment is coming early this half hour. the sun will come out tomorrow. not the forecast. we have the show-stopper from broadway, hot, new broadway show, "annie" here on "gma."

>> can't wait for that. you know what i can't wait for? i can't wait to open these presents. >> okay. >> you never know what you're going to get again and again and again. apparently, a study says, that 83% of people think it's just fine to regift. and so do we, apparently, right? >> we all do? >> there's a few rules you should know. you should only regift unused presents. rewrap to freshen the gift up. and only give something that your giftee can actually use. right here, we have -- >> uh-oh. >> can you take your name tag off when you give it to them? >> i'm pretty sure, yes. there's five types of presents that are most often regifted. they may not be perfect for us. but we're going to make them perfect at this moment. and we're going to be very happy. i'm going to start with sam. sam, this might require a bit of an explanation. why don't you go ahead and start opening that. >> i can't wait to see what it

is. >> sam is a winner of many a competition. and he -- >> i know. >> i found that. you deserve one. >> i'm betting this is the kind of thing -- fruitcakes last forever. i could save it until next year. >> you can't give it back to the person who gave it to you because they'll know what you did. >> rachel, you're getting fruitcake next year. >> great. >> i ask this question because if someone gives you something that is the wrong size -- >> are you supposed to open the gift for rachel? >> this isn't even for rachel. you want to open it? >> it's got a tag. >> rule number four -- >> when someone gives you something that's the wrong size, let's say it's gigantic.

and there's only one person that someone gigantic would fit. rather than taking it back, can you just give it to someone who it might fit? >> oh. >> you know, i would be nothing without the love and support of colleagues like sam champion. >> what size is it? >> this is nice. >> i can use it as a jacket. and amy can use it as a tent. >> the rest of us can use it as a car cover. >> all right. yeah, here. rachel, i actually don't know what this was. i literally -- i switched the names. i know. >> okay. >> whoops. >> clearly. oh. just what i always wanted. that's lovely. fantastic.

>> you're welcome. >> i shall be regifting this for sam. >> you can wear it with a belt. >> we don't have much time. 195 kids at your home. >> actually, thank you. this will be devoured in a little bit. >> that's good. >> i'll trade you. >> no thank you. >> this is one i want. >> amy has a lot of children at the house right now. i want them to be hopped up on sugar. >> and the last thing -- i'm sharing the wealth. >> thank you so much. >> i like the day-after christmas regifting idea. i like that. i really do. i lost out on the fruitcake, though. let's get to the boards. wherever you are, you've been sending in twitter and facebook pictures to show what your holidays are like. how about this from arkansas? an amazing snowfall in arkansas, just outside -- even dallas, look at that. snowfall, we've had reports of anywhere from a dusting to

several inches of snow in that dallas area. and to the east, this storm moves. this means the severe storms that were all along the gulf coast, now hit the east coast today. from tampa, orlando northward, even jacksonville, you're involved in this. all the way to the carolina coastline. you've got to be a little concerned. there could be strong storms and even tornadoes popping up here. coastal areas will get rain. there's icing right now. the inland areas will get snow. stay up with our local abc stations today. won't >> all of that weather was brought to you by honey bunches of oats. now, to our interview with one of the driving forces at the box office "this is 40."

we sat down with judd apatow, to talk about the film in theaters right now. >> he's the man behind the films "40-year-old virgin," "knocked up," and now judd apatow is back with a new film called "this is 40." apatow's real-life wife, leslie mann, is starring in the show, along with your daughters. it's a real family affair. for anyone of us living in the 40s, we relate to this in a very funny way. how was it working with the whole family? >> i like it because i don't have to meet other people. i don't want to have to meet people not in my family. why would you want to do that? >> i want to show everybody a little clip. here's a sampling of what you'll get in this funny film. >> you want to get a massage or do something fun. 40's huge. >> i'm turning 38.

>> 38. and we'll move on. isn't it weird that our birthday's the same week and we're going to have a party and it's just for me. >> i don't think it's funny at all. because you're turning 40 and i'm turning 38. >> let's do like we've really do. we have trained ourselves not to have our accents. there's leslie with paul rudd. we first saw them in "knocked up." and here they are again. why did you want to tell more of their story? >> i felt there were weird things happening in my house and my kids and leslie and the way we relate and fight with each other and love each other. it seemed nuts. maybe it would make people feel better that their house isn't the only crazy house on the block. >> you speak through the characters, debbie and pete. i love that you've said they're talking about the script with your wife has been a coded conversation. you can talk about idiosyncrasies and annoying

things. wouldn't it be a funny scene? >> wouldn't it be funny if we did a scene that debbie admits she's really controlling? >> that's so funny. is this a case of art imitates life? >> a little bit. sometimes i think of it as an apology for how gross i am. just to show how men drive women crazy. and i'd like to say your ann taylor loft looks excellent. >> ann taylor takes a little hit in the movie. >> i'm joking. i've never even been there. >> but the line is incredibly deft and well-written. as is the whole thing. you see character actors in here. melissa mccarthy, little scene. but she steals the show. i'm glad i stayed with the credits. there's a blooper that is just raucous. what was it like shooting a scene with her? >> melissa mccarthy from "bridesmaids" has two scenes in the movie. maybe the funniest two scenes of

any movie i've ever made. when she looks you in the eye, it's like madness. she would tear stuff. the credits were watching her work. and people respond to it. >> your wife and paul rudd couldn't keep a straight face. >> yeah. beyond that, it reminds me of chris farley when chris farley looked you right in the eye, you had to laugh. there's no escape. and she has that. >> also in the movie are your two real-life daughters. and they're terrific. are you comfortable with the fact that you could have stars on your hands? >> i'm shutting it down. i didn't do it to launch anything. i wanted my movie to work. you know? scorsese calls them -- >> they're not available. >> marty -- i call him marty in my brain, any fantasy allows that. >> in real life, i'm terrified. >> i'd shut him right down. >> "this is 40" is terrific. it's in theaters right now. judd, thank you for being with us. >> great to be here. we'll be right back with

marcus samuelsson and tim love here to show us how to turn

ho, ho, ho. day after christmas.

again, we hope yours was a good one. and while the stockings may not be emptied, obviously, the fridge full for weeks with leftovers. the easiest way to spice up the holiday meals. i know one way. tacos. >> who better to make them than marcus samuelsson and tim love, with creative ways. creative ways to turn your leftovers into delicious tacos that will knock your socks off. >> you wish people could smell it in here. it smells delicious. >> it's good, right? >> thank you. >> you're not allowed to touch the kitchen. >> not touching anything. what are we doing here? >> i'm going to do some chicken tac tacos. i love these chicken tacos. they're ethiopian-inspired. i'm from sweden. they're my ethiopian tacos. what are you doing over here?

>> i'm doing pork tacos. i'll have them by the time you get done here. a chicken stew. have that left overfrom christmas. a little uneaten chicken. that's my stew. some chili. it smells great, right? >> how long do you cook that? >> honestly, on low heat, just three, four hours. real nice. >> what do you have going on there? oh, wine. >> wine, chicken stock, tomato base, and nice chili powder. >> wow. >> we have to make the taco. a little bit of cheese. >> what kind of cheese are we using? >> this is a fresh cottage cheese on top, that makes it nice and sour. you want to stack the flavors. i'll get you a smaller one so you can look great and eat at

the same time. >> i'm going to give her a big one. it will be funny. >> this is my recipe, to rock the taco. all right? what are you doing? >> we want to talk about an important festival before we get to yours. >> go ahead. >> can you tell me about the food and wine festival in austin? >> it's the best. the last week in april. and tim is hosting the best bands, the best chefs, come down to austin. it's like a cooking event throughout the whole week. >> that's right. people like marcus samuelsson, the guys from animal in l.a. friends fly in from all over the country. create this food and wine festival. not only great food, but great booze. >> great bands. we're saying, austin exists to throw a festival like that. >> it's awesome there. >> and authentic mexican food, like yours. >> on saturday night, we do an event called rock your tacos. this is a competition. >> i love that. >> very --

>> we have to team up this year. i got josh this year. >> he's mine. >> all right. >> unlike marcus, where he buys his tortillas -- >> ooh. >> yeah. >> we got some secca and corn flour and salt. and we get the dough. we make it into a ball like this. just like this. >> so exciting here. we have a tortilla press. take it like this. and press it down. a little more. there you go. just like that. >> anger management. >> you can do this at home and it makes you feel good when you're mad. you take the top layer off. peel it off. a hot press here. you put it on the grill. but we go into a hot pan. and make our tortilla. >> it's so easy.

>> we have bourbon and coke braise. >> taste it. >> and fresh tortilla. this is park. >> i want to ask -- >> when you build a taco, we build layers of flavor. the idea, we want to have fat, acid and salt. these are the three layers. the fat comes from the pork and the hollandaise. and the salt comes from the cheese. >> and you can do it -- >> the day after christmas, that's how it happens. >> all right, guys. we have all of the recipes from the incredible chefs at goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! we're going to eat. but we'll be right back. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ tomorrow, i love ya, tomorrow you're always a day away ♪ honey, don't use your sleeve.

vo: for cold and flu season, there's clorox bleach.

[ cheers and applause ] we are -- that is a winning coat, i might add. we are so fortunate to have this lovely holiday. and also, fortunate to have the cast of the broadway smash, "annie" stop by. and lila crawford, who sings the signature song, "tomorrow." >> i'm not going to let them get

you or me. i'll take care of you. and everything will be fine, for the both of us. not today. well -- ♪ the sun will come out tomorrow ♪ ♪ bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow ♪ ♪ there'll be sun ♪ just thinking about tomorrow clears away the ♪ ♪ cobwebs and the sorrow till there's none ♪ ♪ when i'm stuck with a day that's gray ♪ ♪ and lonely i just stick up my chin ♪ ♪ and grin and say ♪ ♪ oh, the sun will come out tomorrow ♪ ♪ so, you got to hang on till tomorrow ♪

♪ come what may ♪ tomorrow, tomorrow i love ya, tomorrow ♪ ♪ you're always a day away ♪ ♪ tomorrow, tomorrow i love ya, tomorrow ♪ ♪ you're always a day away ♪ [ cheers and applause ] [ male announcer ] this commercial is not about getting fios,

it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it that you actually get it. when you see the difference 100% fiber optics makes, and you say "woah we are not on cable anymore." when online videos aren't herky jerky, you get it. or when a movie downloads in two minutes, you get it. last chance to get fios for just $79.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. plus $300 back. go to got2getfios.com today

for america's fastest, most reliable internet -- call the verizon center verizon fios. for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. smoke? nah, i'm good. ♪ [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, you celebrate a little win. nicoderm cq, the patch with time release smart control technology that acts fast and helps control cravings all day long. ♪ quit one day at a time with nicoderm cq.

[ cheers and applause ] all right. kendall joining us. thanks for being here. this little fella. >> sebastian. >> sebastian. two of the folks logging on right after we finish here, "gma live!" goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! we'll see you there. and we hope you enjoy your day-christmas. thanks for spending a little with us. fnlg good wednesday morning. i'm megan pringle. >> i'm charley crowson. here are a few of your top stories. today begins kwan displ displ

a. the weeklong festivities end with a feast and the exchange of gifts. the seven principles of the holiday are unity, self- determination, collective work, economics, creativity, purpose and earth. time is running out to submit your homested tax credit applications. the deadline is december 31st. this is a tax credit that up until now you would get automatically. but in 2007 the state legislature passed a law requiring all homeowners to submit an application. we had a five-year grace period. that's over. so now you have to fill out that form. time now for a check of what's going on outside. mike, it has begun. >> it has begun, a lot of heavy sleet along 95 right now, along 40 you're dealing with that, really from the city on points to the south. it is raining out over the eastern shore and it is now coming down as some snow out toward the west, right along 70 going out towards fredrick, some pretty heavy snow coming down. not expecting an accumulation for the city, along 95. but outside of town two to three inches and it will really stack up out towards western maryland. could be as much as five to a foot of snow as we go into

tomorrow. storm wraps up going into thursday. friday looks good and could be another storm saturday into sunday. let's get a check on traffic. lauren cook in the traffic center. hello, lauren. >>reporter: hi, mike. definitely take it slow. we do have a crash in ellicott city on little pawtuxent parkway. an accident has cleared from the noarnld lanes of 95 at route 100. for those of you using 695, here's a live look outside, liberty road, no delays whatsoever. as we head up to hunt valley, this is what 83 looks like, also going to be clear from schann road down to 92. megan and charley. our time is up. "the doctors" is next. >> we want to remind you to join us tomorrow for "good morning maryland." have a great day.

mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey.... where? for life's bleachable moments. it's about getting fios. that moment after you finally got it that you actually get it. when you see the difference 100% fiber optics makes, and you say "woah we are not on cable anymore." when online videos aren't herky jerky, you get it. or when a movie downloads in two minutes, you get it. last chance to get fios for just $79.99 a month for two years with a two-year agreement. plus $300 back. go to got2getfios.com today for america's fastest, most reliable internet -- call the verizon center verizon fios. for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v.